Waveguides and optical fibers are important components of optical communication systems. Waveguides, such as optical planar waveguides, are used in various optical components such as switches, couplers, splitters, filters, multiplexers and de-multiplexers, channelizers and chromatic polarization dispersion compensators. Optical fibers are used to transmit optical signal over a distance to and from these optical components. The strength of the optical signal transmitted through the optical communication system typically depends, at least in part, on how efficiently optical signals are transferred between optical waveguides and optical fibers.